Exclusive Premiere: Watch This Soaring Live Cut of Madi Diaz’s ‘Mess’

April 15, 2015

For music fans, spring officially kicks off somewhere between the taco-strewn wake of South by Southwest and the glitter-tat-clad, Hula-Hooping revelry that hits the Indio polo fields over the two weekends of Coachella. After that, festival season takes off, bands pack up their gear and head out on tours any- and everywhere, and the race to find a warm-weather anthem begins.

Though Madi Diaz released her third record, Phantom, last fall, her latest rendition of Phantom track “Mess” just screams to be given the fresh-air/driving-with-the-windows-down treatment in all of its skyward, sunburned glory. “Mess” treads familiar territory, in that this is a one-sided conversation a scorned lover is having with a cheating foe, except Diaz is not the one getting cheated on, but the Other Woman, and hitting the “What the hell am I doing?!” breaking point. In this take on “Mess,” Diaz nails every triumphant shout on the empowering chorus and makes the recording process look downright easy. Like those high notes would try to mess with her anyway. Hmph.

Listen to “Mess” below, and catch Diaz on tour as she heads out on a brief run of dates up and down the East Coast next week.

Madi Diaz headlines Rough Trade NYC on April 21, and will be joined by Catey Shaw. Tickets are available here.